The Minnesota Vikings news cycle rarely stays sensible for long, and this week brought another round of claims that fell apart under scrutiny.

Nopedy Nopes have been tracked by VikingsTerritory for over two years, with new examples emerging almost weekly.

Here are the latest.

The Summer Narratives Outrunning Vikings Reality

The Nopedy Nope: James Pierre, who will turn 30 in September, is the best example of a Vikings breakout player in 2026.

Pierre isn’t young, but ESPN’s Ben Solak didn’t mind, selecting the veteran CB as his breakout prediction: “The Vikings like to rotate cornerbacks on cheap contracts, as coordinator Brian Flores’ zone-heavy and blitz-happy approach requires fewer snaps of prolonged man coverage than most other defenses.”

“This offseason, they snagged Pierre in free agency after he made some strong spot starts with the Steelers. Pierre had only 219 coverage snaps last season, but his passer rating allowed of 49.8 was second only to Jamel Dean among cornerbacks last season. (Dean, ironically, is who the Steelers signed in free agency).”

This offseason, the Vikings snagged Gerald Alexander from the Steelers to be their defensive passing game coordinator, and Alexander brought Pierre with him.

Solak continued, “It’s worth noting that Fabian Moreau was third in passer rating allowed at 50.5 in Flores’ defense. But the Vikings still elected to cycle Moreau out for Pierre, who was coached by Flores and passing game coordinator Gerald Alexander during their time in Pittsburgh.”

“That’s a clear sign they trust him more — and might ask for more man coverage accordingly.”

While Pierre as a breakout candidate is encouraging, that label should probably be reserved for a younger man.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on 30-year-olds breaking out. Dallas Turner is a wiser choice.

The Nopedy Nope: Because the Vikings don’t have a QB1 right now, they’re a step behind all comers in the NFC North.

NFL writer Steve Silverman explained his theory this week, “The other three teams in the NFC North know who their starting quarterbacks will be but the Vikings don’t. The Chicago Bears found their quarterback a year ago when Caleb Williams came through in his second season led the team to the division title.”

“The Packers are secure in knowing Jordan Love is coming off an excellent season in which he had a 23-6 TD-interception ratio and led his team to the playoffs again. The Lions have Jared Goff under center as that team attempts to regain its stature after a disappointing 2025 season.”

Most Vikings fans are thrilled that the team signed Kyler Murray to a $1.3 million free-agent deal, and they are comfortable with having multiple quarterback options.

Silverman concluded, “That’s a problem that the Vikings will have to overcome, and it could turn out to be a season-long weak link. The ideal situation would have Murray asserting himself and demonstrating his excellence from Day 1. The locker room will be at risk if the Vikings struggle at the start.”

Silverman’s theory misses the boat by an inch or two because — what if Murray handily wins the QB1 job this summer and plays great in 2026? There won’t be any quarterback instability.

The Verdict: Nopedy Nope on panicking over a summer training camp competition.

The Nopedy Nope: Minnesota has the 11th-worst roster in the NFL.

Mike Clay of ESPN unveiled the No. 22 ranking for the Vikings, stating that the running backs — Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Demond Claiborne, and Zavier Scott — were the franchise’s main weakness.

Conversely, he noted the chief strength: “Biggest strength: Pass catchers. Receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and newcomer Jauan Jennings and tight end T.J. Hockenson form a terrific group of targets for whoever wins the QB job.”

“Even in a down season (no fault of his own), Jefferson delivered his sixth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2025 and remains arguably the league’s best wide receiver. Addison produced 875-plus receiving yards and nine-plus TDs in his first two seasons before the QB woes of 2025.”

Clay is probably right that the pass-catchers are the team’s claim to fame, even though the defense’s stats are fantastic.

“Jennings broke out in 2024 with the 49ers and has a 132-1,618-15 receiving line over the past two seasons. Hockenson’s stats have been down the past two seasons, but the 29-year-old remains one of the league’s best two-way tight ends,” Clay concluded.

Clay later argued that the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders have better rosters than Minnesota’s.

The Verdict: The Vikings’ depth chart is not flawless or elite, but Nopedy Nope on it being the NFL’s 11th-worst.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

It is officially Open Championship week and time for the 154th edition of golf’s oldest major, which is being held at Royal Birkdale for the 11th time.

But first, American pros headed over early for some links prep and went about getting on some of the U.K.’s many gems. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had some extra time on his hands after missing the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open and took in North Berwick Golf Club, one of several great courses in East Lothian, and with son Bennett in tow.

Over in England, Akshay Bhatia and Rickie Fowler explored one of the neighboring Southport courses, where Tommy Fleetwood cut his teeth in the game at West Lancs Golf Club. Very cool of them to bring junior member George Crompton along for the ride. Imagine he won’t soon forget that experience.

Jordan Spieth, the 2017 British Open champion here at Royal Birkdale the last time it hosted the Open, was out and about getting familiar with links golf and took in a round at Formby Golf Club. “Always a privilege to see one of the game’s great champions enjoying our links,” the club posted on its social media accounts.

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But the pros weren’t the only ones squeezing in some golf while overseas. Jamie Kennedy of Golf Digest had the shot of his life, a hole-in-one at the par-4 18th at North Berwick and the bartender happened to be taking a time-lapse of the sunset at the time.

Even your intrepid reporter was able to make some birdies on his way over with a pit stop near London at Walton Heath (Old) and has a tee time at Hillside, where Arnold Palmer qualified for the 1961 Open, to look forward to before we get down to serious business on Thursday. With apologies to Jim Nantz and the Masters, playing links golf as prep for the Open is the real tradition unlike any other during major season.

Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.

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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rickie, Jordan & Scottie among pros prepping for British Open at historic UK courses

Manchester United are in talks with Aston Villa in a bid to sign Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans, the Press Association understands.

Tielemans, who captained his country at the World Cup, still has two years to run on his Villa contract, but United are hoping to lure him to Old Trafford.

It is understood United’s bid to sign midfielder Ederson from Atalanta has stalled following his late call into Brazil’s World Cup squad.

A £39m fee and personal terms had been agreed for Ederson, but United have switched focus, for now, on to Tielemans.

The 29-year-old joined Villa on a free transfer from Leicester in 2023 and has played a key role for Unai Emery’s side, who qualified for the Champions League last season and won the Europa League.

Tielemans also helped lead Belgium to the World Cup quarter-finals, but he missed Friday’s 2-1 defeat to Spain after sustaining an injury in the warm-up, later reported to be a hamstring strain.

United have prioritised midfield strengthening following the departure of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte’s knee ligament injury sustained in Uruguay’s group-stage defeat to Spain at the World Cup.

They agreed a £50m deal with Chelsea last week for their Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos.

It would be a major blow for Villa should Tielemans want to push through a move to Old Trafford.

He has made over 130 appearances in all competitions for the West Midlands club, including 35 last season in which he scored two goals and made seven assists.

PA

The Cup Series makes its second trip of the year to EchoPark Speedway as the Quaker State 400 2026 takes place on Sunday. It’s the third race of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, and the green flag for 2026 NASCAR at Atlanta drops at 7 p.m. ET. Tyler Reddick prevailed at the spring NASCAR Atlanta race, while William Byron, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott are all two-time victors at this track. Thus, it certainly won’t be easy to make 2026 Quarker State 400 bets with so many appealing options.

The NASCAR Atlanta 2026 odds indicate just as much, as nine drivers are listed in between +1000 and +1400. Ryan Blaney is the +1000 favorite, with Kyle Larson (+1100) and Logano (+1100) just behind him. Reddick is at +1200 to join the list of multi-time winners, while Denny Hamlin, who sits atop the Cup Series standings, is among a handful listed at +1400. Blaney, who won at this track in 2021, will start on the pole for the second time this season. Before locking in any NASCAR Atlanta predictions or NASCAR DFS lineups, you need to see the projected leaderboard from Mike McClure’s proven model.

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McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action 10,000 times. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 30 winners since 2021 and nailed Denny Hamlin’s back-to-back wins at Michigan and Pocono last month. Anyone following his NASCAR betting picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to the NASCAR Quaker State 400. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine.

2026 NASCAR at Atlanta predictions

For NASCAR at Atlanta 2026, McClure is fading Blaney (+1000), saying despite him being the favorite, simulations have Blaney barely even cracking the top 10. Blaney had a win, a runner-up and a third place all within his first eight starts this season but has dropped off since then. He has zero top 5s over his last 11 races, and while his team in Penske has had historical success at EchoPark, it’s dealt with vehicle issues as of late. Four of the last six Penske starters in Atlanta have been involved in accidents as none of those six have placed better than 10th. Blaney has pole position, but that’s not an omen for success as he has just one victory across 18 career poles.

Another surprise: The model is high on Keselowski (+1800), who is projected to make a strong run towards the title. Keselowski has two career Atlanta victories and several more near misses. He has six top-3 finishes at EchoPark, including at this race last year. He also has the backing of a team in RFK Racing that knows its way around this track. Across RFK’s last six starts at NASCAR Atlanta, five of the six have been top-15s, with three of those in the top 10. See which other drivers the model is backing at SportsLine.

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How to make 2026 Quaker State 400 picks

McClure is also high on two other longshots of at least +1800 who make runs for the top of the leaderboard, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who they are here.

So who wins the 2026 Quaker State 400, and which longshots could stun NASCAR at Atlanta? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 Quaker State 400 picks and best bets from a NASCAR model that nailed back-to-back Denny Hamlin wins last month, and find out.

2026 NASCAR at Atlanta odds, lineup

See full NASCAR Quaker State 400 picks at SportsLine.

(Odds from FanDuel, subject to change)

Ryan Blaney +1000
Kyle Larson +1100
Joey Logano +1100
Tyler Reddick +1200
William Byron +1400
Chase Briscoe +1400
Chase Elliott +1400
Austin Cindric +1400
Denny Hamlin +1400
Brad Keselowski +1800
Carson Hocevar +1800
Christopher Bell +1800
Ross Chastain +2000
Bubba Wallace +2200
Ty Gibbs +2200
Chris Buescher +2200
Alex Bowman +3000
Daniel Suarez +3500
Ryan Preece +4500
Connor Zilisch +4500
AJ Allmendinger +4500
Shane van Gisbergen +4500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5500
Michael McDowell +5500
Zane Smith +5500
Todd Gilliland +5500
Erik Jones +6500
Josh Berry +6500
JJ Yeley +6500
Cole Custer +6500
John Hunter Nemechek +6500
BJ McLeod +6500
Austin Hill +6500
Ty Dillon +7500
Riley Herbst +7500
Noah Gragson +10000

Iron Billionaire is among the finest units of Secret rarity in Universal Tower Defense Z. Introduced by Update 4.0, this character gives an income boost based on allies with the “Farm” Tag in his range. After being evolved to Iron Billionaire (Genius), he receives an Active Ability that gives him three distinct Battle Modes, including an Assist mode that summons two clones on the battlefield.

Inspired by Iron Man from Marvel Comics, here’s how you can obtain the Iron Billionaire and use his high-tech weapons to obliterate enemies.

How to get Iron Billionaire in Universal Tower Defense Z

Iron Billionaire is one of three units that can be acquired as a reward after completing the Crime Fighting Extraction level. Similar to Human Spider in Universal Tower Defense Z, you have a 25% chance of obtaining him upon clearing the specific map.

In the Crime Fighting Extraction, you have to play as a superhero and complete different tasks like delivering pizzas, defeating criminals, and investigation activities that lead to supervillains. Filling the objective bar up to an extent will unlock mini-bosses, which will spawn at random points in the map.

Ultimately, you have to beat the Symbiotic Alien main boss and escape from one of the extraction zones to secure rewards. Apart from units, completing this Extraction level gives diverse equipment and evolution items.

How to evolve Iron Billionaire in Universal Tower Defense Z

Iron Billionaire evolves into Iron Billionaire (Genius) in Universal Tower Defense Z. To make this transformation, select him in the Evolutions menu and hit the Evolve button after acquiring all the mentioned materials:

• 4x Universal Fragment
• 6x Sky Fragment
• 12x Holy Fragment
• 1x Heart Reactor
• 25,000 Gold

Fragments are rewards for finishing Challenges and specific Acts in the Legend Stage. They can also be bought from the Merchant with Gold, a currency acquired by clearing levels across most gamemodes.

The Heart Reactor item is exclusively available from Crime Fighting Expedition.

All passives of Iron Billionaire (Genius) in Universal Tower Defense Z

Iron Billionaire (Genius) makes Takedowns to increase his Pulse Charge and get boosted damage. He is also capable of making Follow-Up Attacks and Synchro Charge with Human Spider (Responsible) to become Mechanical Spider.

Here are all the passive abilities of Iron Billionaire (Genius):

Genius Billionaire Philanthropist

• Iron Billionaire (Genius) gives a 20% income boost for every Farm unit in his range.

Advanced Weaponry

• On Attack, the unit has a 50% chance [or 75% on Etherealization 2] to do a Follow-up Attack.
• On Follow-up Hit, the unit applies Plasma for 10 seconds.
• While inflicted with Plasma, enemies take +40% Damage from Light units and also get a 20% Slow (at Etherealization 2).
• Enemies take +20% Damage from other elements.
• Shielded enemies lose +1 Shield for each hit.

Superficial Arc Reactor

• On Takedown, the Iron Billionaire (Genius) gets +5% Pulse Charge
• At 100% Pulse Charge, he receives +250% Damage [or +350% on Etherealization 4] for the next Attack.
• For every Takedown with this Attack, get +5% DoT (cap: +50%).

Form Adaptation (Active Ability)

• Active Ability unlocked on the final upgrade.
• After using this ability, you can choose one of the three Battle Modes for Iron Billionaire (Genius) to enter.

Here are all Battle Modes available from the Form Adaptation ability:

Offense

• +50% Damage
• +25% Range
• 15% SPA
• On Attack, the unit applies Burn for 25% Damage over 5 ticks.

Defense

• For every ally in this unit’s range, he gets:
• 27.5% Damage
• 22.5% Range
• -17.5% SPA
• When an enemy leaves this unit’s range, he applies Confusion on them for 2 seconds (once per enemy).

Assist

• Summon two Iron Assist units.
• The units will deal 25% Damage and copy this unit’s stats.
• The units will sync their Attack with this unit.

Also check: Universal Tower Defense Z Cat Captain (Yoruichi) guide

FAQs on Universal Tower Defense Z

What is the spawn cost of Iron Billionaire?

You must have 1000 Yen to spawn this character.

What are the Tags possessed by Iron Billionaire?

This unit has the Hero and Summoner Tags.

What is the Placement Type of Iron Billionaire?

The Iron Billionaire is a Hill-type unit. Instead of the ground, it can only be deployed on hills and elevated structures.